I wish today I could say that I am over it... I'm not. For along time I felt alone and in some cases I was and I can not for the life of me understand how I passed through such times and come out of it HIV Free. I know I should feel blessed, and part of me does feel this way. Part of me remains emotional crippled, part of me is a survivor, and part of me is mad as hell that I am still here still dealing with this fucking disease.

Today is World AIDS Day and in the twenty years since the first one I have met some brave and heroic people who have been lost like my friend Byron and Perry and Carl Stepps who ran the In The Circle program for Men of Color, James Drain who was a close friend. I have so many friends who live each day with this menace and they are always in my prayers. All of them have shown an inner strength that inspires me to live on and do something with my life! and I am thankful for each of them!
Let me close by saying that there is so much to do and there are organizations that can help such as the World AIDS Day organization, and in Detroit you can contact KICK and finally in Toronto ACT. Please if you need help or if you can donate money or time I am sure your help will be appreciated. Always wear a condom because getting sick is not cool!

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007,[including 330,000 children. Over three-quarters of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and destroying human capital. Most researchers believe that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century. AIDS was first recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981 and its cause, HIV, identified by American and French scientists in the early 1980s and an estimated 33 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007. This makes it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children. The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world.
From its inception until 2004, UNAIDS spearheaded the World AIDS Day campaign, choosing annual themes in consultation with other global health organizations. In 2005 this responsibility was turned over to World AIDS Campaign (WAC), who chose Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise as the main theme for World AIDS Day observances through 2010, with more specific sub-taglines chosen annually. This theme is not specific to World AIDS Day, but is used year-round in WAC's efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 Summit. World AIDS Campaign also conducts “in-country” campaigns throughout the world, like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, an infection-awareness campaign targeting young people throughout the UK.
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1 comment:
Your feelings about World AIDS Day are understandable. There are just things that are beyond our control. It is very painful knowing that many of your friends have died. You have so much STRENGTH being here right now. Ure a survivor and so are the rest of us who continue to live on for the ones who loss their lives so long ago. I commend you man. Keep on fighting man. Your blog touched me.
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